Category Archives: Top Lists

Lists of top products in their niche.

Best Cycling Gadgets – Cool Stuff for Bicycle Riders

With the every growing popularity of the Tour de France, and the success of the Team GB in the 2008 Olympics, cycling’s popularity continues to grow. It can be practised as a sport, or as a method of transportation. It is considered a good way of keeping fit as it is a low impact sport. To make the experience more enjoyable, there is a good range of cool gadgets designed for to that end. Here are some of the best we’ve picked out.

New Universe Dolphin Rider MP3 PlayerMP3 player for cycling

Listening to music while cycling is on the whole a dangerous affair. Headphones not only can become tangled with handlebars and clothing, they also shut out a riders hearing, which can make them oblivious to oncoming traffic. This bike speaker however, plays crisp music to the rider, without the use of headphones. So the tangle factor, and hearing impairment is no longer is an issue. The device works by uploading your tunes to it, and it is easily controllable while riding, where adjusting the volume and skipping tracks is easy. It has 4GB of memory, and it is waterproof so no worries about the rain!

Garmin Edge 705 HRgarminnav

The Garmin Edge essentially provides a rider with two things. Navigation via GPS, and training information that can be analysed later. Heart rate, times, speed, calories burned, are just some of the metrics measured by this device. It also provides information about terrain where elevation and descent is concerned, together with an altimeter if you are wondering just how high up the mountain you are. The Garmin Edge can connect wirelessly with other Edge devices, and the data can be transferred to a PC via an SD card. Maybe a bit excessive for a ride in the park, but if you’re serious about cycling, tracking your progress cannot be charted more accurately than this.

HYmini personal wind turbinehymini-big

The HYmini personal wind turbine charges up small digital devices such as cameras and phones via the power of wind. This makes it ideal for cyclists, as forward momentum generates plenty of wind to power the device. It has been specifically designed for joggers and cyclists, and is suitable for many makes of phones such as Nokia, Samsung, LG, Sony Erricson, and Motorola. Unlike solar power, the HYmini can power devices during the night. A good addition for long journeys.

GoPro Digital Hero 5 Waterproof Camerahelmet cam

There is a wide range of cameras designed to be used while practising sports. There are some that are specific to cycling which can fasten to a helmet. This camera caught the eye as it is a little more versatile in where it can be fitted, and it is also waterproof, so if you also enjoy kayaking, fastening it to a paddle is not out of the question. From a cycling perspective, this gives a better range of angles as the camera can be fastened to handle bars or a saddle to show rear shots. The camera can take still photos or 54 minutes of film footage. Both are transferable to a PC via an SD card.

Riding bikes has never been more fun! Which cool cycling gadgets do you like?

Top Sports Gadgets – Compete At The Top!

With the summer coming up it is time to get sporty! If you want to get the competitive edge over friends and opponents then some sport aids can help. Whether football, cycling or volleyball, there is a gadget that helps technique and boosts performance.

The Body Blade
Though it looks like a bow with no string, this seems to be a device that can be used effectively by any age group or level of athlete. It seems to work by shaking it in different positions, and seems to give a variety of muscular benefits. The dude in the video has two of them, but it is more common to use just one.

Pro-jumping
This is a fast growing extreme sport which involves fastening spring powered stilts to your feet. Through mastering your stilts you can jump ten feet in the air and do somersaults, or leap 15 feet at a time. The video shows you what you can do. It is important to remember, that if you are going to try and become the next pro-jumper, to get the right stilts for your weight.

Punch BagInflatable Punch Bag
Ok, so jumping and goalkeeping may not be your thing. Everyone, at sometime or other needs to hit something, so why not try this. The Inflatable Power Tower, offers stress release, weight loss, cardiovascular exercise, and the facility to perfect a mean right hook. It works simply by filling the base with water, and the rest with air, so as soon as you hit it, it swings back up and you can hit it again. A genius sporting aid if ever there was one.

The Powerball
A little gadget that is designed to strengthen the muscles in the arm. It works by spinning a ball within a ball. Gyroscopic forces then come into play, as you try to contain the ball by squeezing it. It is simple, but effective.

What are your favorite sports gadgets that help you to improve on your level of skills?

Images used copyright owned by respective owners.

Best Budget Sat Nav Systems- Top 5

Much like good audio systems, satnavs have become an essential piece of driving kit. A few years ago, there were only a few models to choose from, but now there is plenty of choice. So which one is best for you?

This list is aimed at your pocket. Like all budget technology there is normally a trade off between features and the price you pay. The ones featured here will get you from A to B with out taking you through forests, rivers, and other peoples living rooms.

Best Budget Sat Nav from Garmin Nuvi
Garmin Nuvi 205 WT UK
Great example of an excellent budget satnav. Has all the features that a good satnav should have, though not all of them are available without subscription. Perhaps the most ingenious feature is that it is tuned into traffic networks to warn of accidents and other road disruptions and suggest an alternative route. Very good navigator for price.

Tom Tom
Tom Tom XL LIVE IQ Routes Europe
If you are a European traveler then this Tom Tom is probably the one to go for. It has all the features of the Garmin, but has an added bonus that it has Google local search built in, so finding a restaurant, petrol station, or hotel in a strange city is that much easier, an awesome tool to have at your disposal.

Many say that Tom Tom’s HD traffic provides the best real time information on traffic news and fuel prices there is, and the XL live comes with HD traffic. A great bit of kit.

Europe Holiday Maker
Garmin Nuvi 255W Europe
Garmin have brought out this one aimed for the touring holiday maker. It is packed with points of interest, and you can display pictures on the screen to see the snap shot you took of a famous landmark and show it on your journey. It comes with a measurement converter, currency converter and a calculator. It is also extremely portable.

ONE IQ Routes UK
Tom Tom ONE IQ Routes UK
This device has based its travel times on data collected from other drivers. So if you are travelling across London on a Monday morning, Tom Tom’s IQ routes technology takes into account rush hour traffic. Pretty marvellous stuff. And yet, it gets better. It also features Lane Guidance, so the satnav tells you which lane to be in rather than a vague ‘keep left’, or ‘keep right’.

Expensive satnav
Garmin Nuvi 1490T Europe
The Garmin Nuvi may seem a little expensive compared to other satnavs designed for the European traveller. Perhaps though, if I tell you it can be used to explore cities on foot using Garmin’s Cityexplorer technology may make you think again before dismissing it. If you are still ready to wave your hand, perhaps the fact that this model can calculate the most fuel efficient route between A to B will make you think again.

The Nuvi also updates itself automatically as you drive into a new time zone, and has the picture facility that its predecessors have as well. A very good satnav and worth the money if you are going to make use of its features.

And perhaps that is the ultimate guide to a satnav. Will you make use of the features, and this will undoubtedly decide your choice. They will all get you to A to B without getting you lost, but each model has its own strengths. It is nice to say, that each model has few weaknesses.

For more top lists take a peek at this section where you will find similar stuff.

Top 3: Best Multi-function Printers UK

Printers are an essential bit of kit for home computing. From the casual need to print out a receipt, or homework, to the workhorse style printer for the home office, with all its quirks these gadgets are needed as much today as ever. On this page we bring to you the best multi-function models for sale in the UK, to give you a guide on some of the best to go for.

‘Multifunction’ includes standard printing of text and images, photocopying, and scanning. There are many available and most are fine for occasional use. If you are after something that will see more action then this guide should come in handy.

Canon PIXMA MP495
Canon PIXMA MP495
If you are looking for a good low-cost solution this little baby could be for you. It is very popular being one of the bestsellers (at the time of writing). It is wi-fi enabled, can deliver a maximum print resolution of 4800 x 1200dpi and you can also print moments from movies with the ‘Full HD Movie Print’ feature. Also has; automatic correction, free software, compact design, and a save paper feature.

HP Special
HP All-In-One Special Edition
This system is ideal for printing your everyday documents, the compact device is very simple to set-up and use and is also designed to help you reduce your environmental impact, it even contains 50% or more recycled materials. Box contains cartridges, software, guides, power supply and a reusable bag. This printer gets rave reviews from customers who have purchased it.

Brother DCP7030 Mono Laser Multifunction Printer
Brother Mono Laser Multifunction DCP7030
Need something a bit more heavy duty? If you print a lot this may be for you, with a PPM (page per minute) speed of 22 you will be able to save a lot of time compared to the above offerings. Scanning up to 600 x 2400 dpi and printing upto Up to 2400 x 600 dpi. Also has a capacity for 250 sheets, so needs refilling less often than the cheaper printers. Manufacturer provides a 1 year warranty.

Overall
If you need an all in one machine for general household use then either the Canon or the HP will serve you well. Perhaps, if you are going to print out more photos, the Brother is the slightly better buy long-term. But research them all well to decide which is best for your personal needs. You will also get quality printer results with dependable multicolour ink cartridges. Remember time is money so you don’t want to sit around waiting for docs to finish.

Got an opinion or question about any of the printers featured on this page? You can put them in the section below.

Best Cheap Blu ray Players on Sale for Under £200!

Blu-ray has always offered high picture and sound quality from the very start. This is what it was designed to do by using different technology compared to DVD.

What traditionally went against it was the price. For a long time, you could buy a DVD player for under £30, yet a Blu-ray player under £300 was rare. Recently however, a price drop has happened, and they have become more affordable. If you are thinking about making the switch, here are the best cheap blu ray players on sale in the UK.

Cheap Best Blu Ray Player
Sony S360
It looks stylish and handles blu-ray disks with ease. This is a stylish player. It is backward compatible with;

  • DVDs
  • CDs
  • MP3s

However it cannot handle DivX, or HD DVD. Still, decent value for money nonetheless.

LG BD550
LG BD550
If you are really on a budget but still want to buy brand new, how about this little beauty? Originally given an RRP of £259.99 this is now significantly cheaper. It has standard DVD Up-Scaling, so you can watch all your old DVDs on this new player, no need to sell your old DVDs. Enjoy full HD 1080p video performance for a low cost.

Philips
Philips BDP3000
This device lacks the sharpness and ease of motion of many of its rivals, but at the price it will make you think twice before dismissing it. It also requires a memory card to access BD-Live content which many may find annoying and it is unable to decode DTS- HD master audio. If however, you are just after a basic player to watch HD quality films, then this player will perform admirably.

Toshiba BD Live
Toshiba BDX1100 with BD Live
Perhaps not the prettiest of designs, but this is still a performer at a good price. If you want to experience more you can also access alternative endings, games and online chat from the Internet via Ethernet port and SD card! Overall it comes with very good reviews from buyers.

As with most technology, the price is dropping for blu-ray players all the time. What costs £170 one day, may cost £90 a week later. It is worth checking prices and specifications carefully before parting with your cash, as this can make a considerable difference to your wallet.

How Does Blu-Ray Work?

It works by using a blue-violet laser instead of a red one. Other than the colour, the use of a blue-violet laser means that more data can be stored and read rather than using a read one, as its wavelength is shorter. Therefore more data can be stored on a blu-ray disk, than on a DVD. A lot more in fact, a single layer blu-ray disk can store up to 25GBs of information, where a conventional DVD stores under 2GBs. As more information can be utilised, better HD picture quality emerges.

Play back your recorded movies and TV stations with a 64 times speed PVR.

Got any questions? You are welcome to post them in the section below.

Top 5 Energy Efficient Cars for the Family

With the prospect of climate change occurring within the next 50 years due to CO2 emissions, we are all being encouraged to reduce our CO2 emmissions that eminate from our daily activities, especially when we drive. That being said here are the top 5 energy efficient cars ideal for the family that are commercially available.

  • 1st Place: Volkswagen Passat Saloon 1.6 tdi 105ps Bluemotion

    VW Passat Energy Efficient CarAccording to reviews, not only is the prospect of cataclysmic climate change that little bit further away through driving this car, it is also a petty good motor in its own right. The car also saves you money on tax. Just £35 for a year. 

    Fuel type:  Diesel
    CO2: 114 g/KM

  • 2nd Place: Volkswagen Passat Saloon 2.0 TDI 140PS BlueMotion Technology Highline

    Highline ModelIf the 1.6 is not quite as large or as fast as you would like, or maybe organising the kids for school is always a mad dash and you need that bit of top end and acceleration as not to affect little Sarah’s education, then VW also have brought out 2 litre version of their energy efficient range.

    Fuel type:  Diesel
    CO2: 124 g/KM

  • 3rd Place: PEUGEOT 407 Saloon 1.6 HDi FAP (110 bhp)

    Peugeot 407Peugeot’s offering to save the world, comes in the form of their 407 saloon 1.6 HDi.  The car has mixed reviews from a practical point of view, but it can do 57 mpg, (miles per gallon), it did not make our list for nothing you know! and it had some good safety features for peace of mind. 

    Fuel type:  Diesel
    CO2: 129 g/KM

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  • 4th Place: RENAULT Laguna Hatchback  1.5 dCi

    Renault LagunaRenault’s offering comes at a slight downgrade in engine size.  However, for day to day usage, this is unnoticeable.  Like others in this list, the annual tax is £120.  All in all, a good motor.

    Fuel type:  Diesel
    CO2: 130 g/KM

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  • 5th Place: TOYOTA Avensis  4 door TR D-4D

    Avensis Saloon CarThe Avensis has received some quality reviews and considering its size, 48mpg is very impressive. The beauty of the Avensis, that from a climate change point of view, the Avensis is only 4 g/km higher than the Laguna, but has 25% more engine power, and is much more luxurious in construction. Only VW ‘s two litre offering can compare on these terms.

    Fuel type: Diesel
    CO2: 134 g/KM

Concluding Thoughts

It is perhaps no surprise that the most energy efficient cars available on the whole market are all Smart cars. The reason none were featured here was that they none are family cars. It is all very well creating next to none emissions, but if two of you have nowhere to sit it is useless.

It is worth noting, that though we all contribute to CO2 emissions, that there is not a living soul that actually is responsible for climate change. We are born into the world we are, and for over a hundred years we have as a species been locked into a world where electricity, fossil fuel consumption, and for the most part motoring have all been as much part of life as eating a meal. 

Another little fact, is that the Earth’s climate has been changing for as long as we have been able to record it. Under ten thousand years ago, the North Sea was solid ice. There were no factories, electricity or indeed cars, to bring that era to an end. As yet, the reasons for the climate change that we are experiencing now, are for the most part speculation, and unproven. But don’t let that put you off doing your bit with cars like these!

Pictures from press releases, Peugeot from greencarsite.

Gadgets For Kids: 5 of the most interesting!

When you think of gadgets for your kids you tend to think of things like iPods, and iPhones. These are all well and fine for teenagers, but they are a bit dull for the younger child. Luckily, there are some real gems out there for children, from spy robots to things that go bing!

Prices on this page were correct at the time of writing but please check the retailers website for the current cost to buy.

spyrobotThe Meccano-Spykee robot is a surveillance robot that travels on wheels, and sends real time images back to a pc.  It also has voice communication, and is compatible with Meccano parts.  The perfect gift for children that want to know what their older sibling is planning.

 

 

 

 

bopitBop it extreme 2. The tag line for this gizmo is follow the beat or taste defeat.  This sums up what the Bop it extreme 2 is all about.  In essence you have to flick, push, pull, and bop the levers in time to the music.  There are four rhythms to chose from, and the further you progress the more beats you unlock.

 

 

ereaderCOOL-ER e-Book reader. If your child is a bit of a book worm then why not invest in an e-Book reader.  It can store up to 500 novels which are downloaded to it via a PC. It is unaffected by direct sunlight, and has been designed to display text like print rather than pixels. Perhaps the best advantage is not so much its storage capacity or portability, but the fact that you stand on, sit on, or indeed move, your child’s books ever again. Retails at £189.95, from Firebox.

 

 

 

laserShocking Laser Guns. The idea behind this is that you get to shoot your friend and cause a pad that is worn on the chest to vibrate.  The blurb says it gives a harmless electric shock, but I think they vibrate which why its harmless.  Nonetheless, all the fun of shooting one another can be had with these weapons of mass vibration! Retails at £29.95, from Firebox.

 

 

 

CameraDisgo DigitalVideo Camcorder. Point and click cameras for kids have been around a while now, so why not further the idea with a camcorder. This particular model has only three buttons, record, playback, and delete, and has over 60 minutes of recording time to boot. Like all camcorders it connects via USB. Simple filming for small hands. Retails at £34.99, from Toys ‘R’ Us.

 

 

 

Children’s gadgets don’t have to be predictable, and a clever choice could make that present, the surprise hit with your son or daughter this Christmas. Which of these top products do you like?

Top 5: Best Gadgets for Cars

We would all like a fast car with great on board hardware that would let you eject your passengers, or turn your car into a submarine! In car gadgets may not have reached that level, but there are some good ones for sale which make great gifts for yourself of friends and family.

So the question is which one? This array of some of the best gadgets for cars may provide the answer, as it has one to suit all personality types. The prices were correct at the time of writing but check the retailers website for the current price.

TomTom Iphone KitFor The Navigationally Challenged & The Extroverted
Do you know someone who keeps getting lost, or likes to show off their iPhone? Then the ‘Tom Tom car kit for iPhone’ could be just the ticket. It enables the driver to position it for easy reach, charges the phone as you drive, and the dock enables music and calls too. It looks quite nifty, but it could be a little pricey. Still, if you have the app already, then this could be just what you are after.

Tyre InflatorFor The Impatient & Mr Maintenance
Do you hate queuing to get your tyres inflated? Is so, this digital tyre compressor could be for you. It works by plugging into your cigarette lighter, and simply inflates the tyre to the desired pressure. Bit of a winner and at just over twenty quid could be a good one for the Xmas list.

LED light for Rear WindowFor The Madman & The Bold
A great & necessary one for boy racers, is the ‘LED car sign’. A red light is hung in the rear window, a wireless control is kept near the driver. At a push of a button the following words or symbols are displayed: “Sorry”, for cutting someone up. “Thanks”, for a nice person who lets you out. “Back off”, for the not so nice person up your bumper. A smiley face for peace. A winking face for love.

Torch, Hammer And CutterFor Mr Safety Man & G.I. Joe
Every driver needs a torch so why not have one that has a hammer and a built in belt cutter thrown in the mix too. That’s exactly what you get with the ‘Emergency LED Car Torch Kit’. The torch also can be set to ultra bright, or flash to draw attention. It can also cast a red glow. It works on a dynamo recharge as if it wasn’t snazzy enough.

Gear4 USB DeviceFor The Practical Driver
It may not be glamorous, but the ‘Gear 4 USB Charger’ is certainly practical. By plugging it in to the cigarette lighter slot, you can charge two USB devices as you drive. Especially ideal if you are going away or doing long journeys.

There are in car gadgets that suit all personalities, so choosing one shouldn’t be too difficult. If none of these fit you, then what is your favorite in car gadget at the moment?

As well as being available from Amazon you will also find these products for sale from other retailers both online and on the high-street. If you have the time shop around to get the best price! And always try and read customer reviews so you know how good products are.

If you are also interested in eco cars check out this list of efficient motors released by manufacturers.